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Hunter
Hunter is a prairie tank engine who works on Duck's branchline. He is friends with Thomas, Marty and Eagle and enemies with 98462 and 87546. Bio Hunter was built in 1906 and came to Sodor in the 1920's like Marty. He is used for shunting coaches for the bigger engines (Gordon, Henry, 98462, 87546), and is a useful tank engine. Hunter is currently working on Duck's branchline as a shunting engine. Hunter is a Large Prairie Tank Engine built by the Great Western Railway, originally based in the South West of England and used on stopping passenger and goods services. He was withdrawn by British Railways in 1965, but bought by a member of the same consortium who bought Sodor Castle. As such, they moved Hunter to the same Museum in the Midlands where the two became good friends. Throughout his lifetime in preservation, Hunter was loaned repeatedly to various Heritage Railways to make up for steam shortages and to earn extra revenue for future overhauls and repairs, becoming a popular fixture at Gala Events and very rarely out of service for long. However by 1997, the consortium who owned Hunter had acquired a sizably larger collection of engines, and they were looking to economise. After initially giving first-refusal to the Museum (who rejected the offer on the grounds of cost), Hunter was later sold to the Fat Controller. It is understood that his previous owners wished to concentrate upon restoring other engines who would be Main Line worthy and capable of running Rail Tours. Hunter worked out his boiler certificate at the Museum in 1999, and was given a ceremonious send-off at the end of the operating season. He was then moved to Crovans Gate Works at the end of the year and given a full refurbishment. In 2000, Hunter was ready and allocated work on the Norramby Branch line alongside Eagle. After a difficult start, the two engines have worked well together ever since sharing mixed duties of passengers and goods. A very strong and resourceful tank engine, as well as the Norramby Branch, Hunter is also used to help out alongside Donald, Douglas and Warrior on the Main Line as well as other Branch lines when necessary to relieve their workload. Hunter was built as a medium-sized tank engine to carry passengers on various routes around the Great Western Railway system. He spent much of his working life in the South West of England, before being withdrawn in 1965. After that, he was bought by a consortium who saved him for preservation and leased him to work at the same Museum site as Sodor Castle. Hunter arrived on Sodor in 1999 and entered service in 2000, he is based at Barrow-in-Furness, and works primarily on the Norramby Branch Line, although has been moved temporarily if necessary to relieve other engines on other Branch Lines. Basis Hunter is based on GWR 45xx Class. He is also based on the 5101 class of Prairie Tank Engine, developed by Collett from a design by Churchward. The engine Hunter is based on was built between 1930/31, and was subsequently scrapped after its withdrawal in 1965. Around 10 members of the Large Prairie class survive in preservation today Livery Hunter is painted GWR green.